Shattered Friendships
by EighthHorcrux
Summary: Rue and Prim have been best friends for as long as they can remember. It's the reaping, and the first year for both of them for their names to be put into the draw. When both are reaped, Prim is determined to stand by her friend, though is distraught when her older sister risks her life in order to save her. She watches the games, guilt-ridden, begging that they both stay alive.


**Author's Notes: This is actually two separate One Shots I wrote about Prim and Rue, yet I decided to merge them together. Basically Prim and Rue are friends before the Reaping of the 74th Hunger Games, and Prim can't forgive herself when she gets out of participating, leaving Rue alone.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games, it belongs to the amazing Suzanne Collins!**

I think back to the time we first met at the District border last year. As soon as our eyesight caught, I knew that we'd be close. We had far too much in common, just the identical grins we had instantly informed me that we'd end up being soul mates.

Her breath hitched, and I notice that she finally detected my presence, reaching over to pick something up from the shelf, though her eyesight unintentionally falling upon me.

"Prim?" she whispered, her voice hoarse as our eyes met. Her face was marked with tear tracks, and her voice hardly audible as she inhaled sharply. I traced my teeth with my tongue, as Rue's gaze faltered, her eyesight fixing to the ground. "I-I'm sorry." she gulped. I lifted my hand to dab away the tears which I wasn't even aware had fallen, as I took another cautious step towards her.

"Rue, Rue listen to m-me," I sobbed, as she lifted her head to face me once more, her chocolate orbs clashing with my blue. She brought a hand through her tangled dark lochs with a sigh. "I-it's not your fault!" I had so much to say, yet it was excruciating pain to force the words through my lips. "You shouldn't be apologising, it's m-my fault, it should be m-me too, you're not alone."

She smiled weakly, though the emotion not reaching her eyes as she leaned forward upon her feet. Placing a hand on my shoulder, she grabbed my free hand as I continued to dab at my eyes. Rue had always been the stronger of the pair of us, keeping me sane through everything. Just the thought of losing her shatters my heart completely. It's as if she's my twin sister. We're twins, and losing Rue would be like losing half of myself. I'd never be able to live again, knowing that she died a fate which I should have encountered. I'm a fool.

"K-Katniss will look after you, s-stick with K-Katniss," I continued, perfectly aware at how my body was trembling, the sobs forcing their way out of my throat as Rue wrapped her arms around me.

"I thought you'd still have faith in me Prim," she giggled, dimples appearing in the apples of her cheeks, as she smiled that bright smile which could light up the atmosphere in a room in seconds. I can't help but help the little smile creep upon my lips at her determination. "I'm hard to catch quote."I'm very hard to catch," says Rue. "And if they can't catch me, they can't kill me. So don't count me out."

"S-Stay safe Rue," I whispered. "Stay s-safe for m-me?" I allowed my arms to drop loosely to my sides, as an unfamiliar voice called Rue from downstairs.

"I will Prim, I can assure you. Believe me, you can't get rid of me that easily!" Rue chuckled, before enveloping me in one final hug, memories seeping from me with every step she took in the opposite direction, our friendship being ripped apart by the second. I allow another single tear to trickle down my cheek, as I see my best friend being led away.

**~#~**

"KATNISS!" I heard Rue's desperate voice call, as I sat bolt upright with a start. My breathing was rapid, yet I calmed down drastically as Gale put a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Rue," I whispered hoarsely, my eyes glued to the screen, as I saw Katniss tearing across the grass. I couldn't help but smile at the fact that both had kept to their promises. The tears continued to roll down my cheeks, tears of confusion, of desperation, of hopelessness. Of loss.

The arena appeared a deathly silent as Katniss continued to run. "Rue, I'm coming!" I felt a bubble of pride arise inside her, forcing a smile to creep upon my fact, despite the blatant pain, though the emotion didn't reach my eyes. I could hear mums breathing waver slightly, though I took her outstretched hand gratefully as I leant my head upon Gale's chest, my eyes not flickering from the screen once.

Katniss finally breaks into the clearing, dashing towards Rue, and I see her at last. Rue's tangled up helplessly, and a sob forces its way out of my throat as reality sinks in. I can't lose her, not now. Not after everything we've been through!

"Katniss," Rue whispers in relief, as hearing her voice calms me slightly, though the life is ripped out from me as the male tribute who I didn't even notice was stood near her at first, jabs his spear straight into her stomach. Her scream made my blood curdle, as if I could feel her physical pain right now.

"NO!" I scream, hardly recognising my own voice, as the screen becomes fuzzy due to the masses of tears engulfing them. "NO RUE, NO!" I sob into Gale's chest as he wraps his arms around me. I continue to whimper, trembling uncontrollably. I couldn't avoid the pang of guilt that continued to stab at me. How tourtorous it would be to live life without her. How selfish I was. I was chosen, not Katniss. It should have been me.

"It's okay Prim, it's okay," Mum said soothingly, rubbing circles on my back as I continued to choke upon my emotion. I hear Katniss' voice in the background, yet I can't bear it anymore. Just seeing her laying there. It's my fault, I should be in there with her.

"Are there more? Are there more?" I hear Katniss yelling frantically, as I finally lift my head, nervously peering at the screen again. If Rue could see me now, she's laugh at how emotional I'm being. I've always been the most emotional out of the pair of us. I don't even have the heart to kill when we go hunting together a lot of the time. The room in an eerie silence, my heart breaking as Rue can hardly communicate any more. Katniss grasps a knife from her pocket, hacking away at the net as she finally frees her.

Rue held out her hand comfortingly, as Katniss grasped it without hesitation.

"You blew up the food?" Rue whispers, her eyelids fluttering slightly as I could hardly distinguish her voice due to the minute volume.

"Every last bit," Katniss replies, her voice cracking as her eyesight doesn't leave Rue's once.

"You've got to win," Rue whispers, clutching tighter on Katniss' hand as she nods fiercely in response.

"I'm going to. Going to win for both of us now." she promises, a grin identical to mine crawling upon her face. I dab at my face with my already damp blouse sleeve as I free myself slightly from Gale's tight hold.

"Don't go!" Rue's desperate voice begged, breaking my heart as Katniss runs her fingers through her hair.

"Course not, I'm staying right here," she whispers, resting Rue's head on her lap.

"Sing?" Rue whispers, as I twiddle with a loose strand of hair that had somehow escaped from my usually pristine pleats. Katniss smiles weakly, apparently deep in thought, before she coughs to clear her throat.

_"Deep in the meadow, under the willow_  
_A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_  
_Lay down your head, and close your eyes_  
_And when again they open, the sun will rise."_

_"Here it's safe, and here it's warm_  
_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_  
_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_  
_Here is the place where I love you."_

_"Deep in the meadow, hidden far away_  
_A cloak of leaves, A moonbeam ray_  
_Forget your woes and let your troubles lay_  
_When again it's morning, they'll wash away."_

_"Here it's safe, and here it's warm_  
_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_  
_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_  
_Here is the place where I love you"_

Rue's eyes flutter shut, she takes one last deep breath before she moves no more. Katniss remained hunched desperately over her body, laden with flowers, before the loss is confirmed. I glare at the screen emotionless, unable to bring myself to speak as a final single tear trickles down my cheek. I refuse to accept the fact that I've lost my best friend, my soulmate, as my mind floods with our very best memories together. I will miss you Rue, I'll miss you more every passing day. I'll never forget you, we'll be reunited one day. Thank you for always being there for me.


End file.
